A new ham radio day ...
 |
| Bay Road, Basseterre, Saint Kitts. West Indies |
Today is a great amateur radio day for me, V44KF, in the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis.
The Saint Kitts Nevis Anguilla Amateur Radio Society in its 46th year held its AGM on Tuesday February 4th 2020, and elected a new Executive. First, CONGRATULATIONS to the new Executive, and I expect that they would seek to carry our Amateur Radio Society to a new level. I know that they will, and I expect many FIRSTS for our Society. Going forward our Society has to incorporate modern business practices if we are to avoid the problems we have weathered over the years.
We all need to come to grips with the fact that our Amateur Radio Society is a non-profit organisation, and amateur radio could be a very expensive hobby. I think it would be helpful if we can think about the many ways that we and our Society can attract the assets that we need to make our Amateur Radio the best in the world. I am a senior citizen and I am willing to make a small monthly contribution to the Amateur Radio Society to help the management in whatever way possible. I am not in any way suggesting that we can all do this, because I cannot take that liberty to invade your financial domain. But I would throw out this idea for what it is worth.
Some of us can give time and other assets. I suspect a lot of things will be happening in the next few months as we prepare for the hurricane season. Be reminded that we are the only island that has not been touched by any severe weather in the last few years, and we have to be more than ready, instead of being complacent, with an "it can’t happen here" attitude. We have to weatherproof all our systems and firmly tether and secure our HQ and EOC container early.
The antenna systems are nowhere near where they should be for an Amateur Radio Organisation. Why are we still using drooping dipoles? Have we not grasped the principles of installing a real DX antenna in the space available to us? If we do not push our amateur radio to the limits we will always be third rate amateur radio operators in our Saint Kitts.
I know that many of us have personal challenges that could stop or slow down our amateur radio development, but I would suggest that we do not let any of these challenges retard our amateur radio development, given the many opportunities available in Saint Kitts and Nevis. You should know that many amateur radio operators in the USA and other countries CANNOT run an antenna wire across their yard in plain view like us. They have to resort to stealth antennas. We do not have that restriction in the Caribbean. We do not need City permission to install a pipe in our yard or beside our house. Therefore, let us give our amateur radio and our antenna systems the best shot possible.
Recently I overheard a couple prospective ham radio operators talking about amateur radio stations. This is always an interesting topic, and if I knew forty years ago what I know today I would have the best amateur radio station in the world. This is my take after 50 years of ham radio and going through many radio stations. I got VP2KF in January 1968. As a new ham radio operator, you have no idea if you will get into DX, contest, digital modes, SSTV, VHF, UHF, satellite, ESSB, FM, "deep space" or more. But after the first year or two you will find your niche, and that could call for specific amateur radio equipment. In my case I was attracted to HF, the 40 meters and 15 meters bands. For 15 meters there is the Hy-Gain Long John 5-element beam, 26 ft boom, and there is nothing in the world that I cannot hear. My City lot does not allow me to install a 40-meter beam, but my 2020 project of a 3-element 40-meter delta loop, pointing in one direction is better than nothing.
Here is my take on setting up an amateur radio station in these times. Many people are attracted by the low cost of Asian made ham radio equipment. Some are attracted by the fancy and exotic displays, but I had cause to go past that after my maintenance brush with an Asian manufacturer. The three big Asian names are great if you like their style, but please check their after sales service, because one day your radio will fail. My Kenwood TS-940SAT served me well until I updated to the SDR radio technology. All you need is the best radio you can afford, with the best affordable microphone and headset to match it, and the best affordable antenna system. I know that all amateur radio operators have at least three radios, but if you are on a budget one great radio is more than enough, just make sure it is the best radio for the job.
To help us select the best radio affordable there are websites that test radios and publish to results.
I suspect that every single model of each brand of radio is not tested, but the better ones are. Every product is made for a market, and a particular user. You have to know who you are, and get what you need. I find that the Asian radios do not meet my specifications anymore. They once did, but not anymore. The price of the Asian radio that meet my specifications are now outside my price range. As a DX station my radio receiver has to be in the top five [5] of the best radios in the world. It is as simple as that. I must be able to hear everything, all the time, and that is guaranteed, with the top 5 radios. My banker was my best friend when I updated my ham radio stations, maybe yours can be too.
The ideal test for an amateur radio station is to be able to make a DX contact on the far side of the world while your next door neighbour is transmitting with a kilowatt amplifier a few kilocycles away from your frequency. Over the years the Kenwood TS940-SAT [modified with Inrad filters] and the Drake 4C line allowed me to achieve this level of operating efficiency. You are indeed lucky not to live in kilowatt alley like me, with a handful of active amateur radio operators from one hundred meters to one mile away. My choice for affordable amateur radio equipment in these times are FlexRadio https://www.flexradio.com/ and Elecraft https://elecraft.com/
My microphones and headsets have always been Heil, I do not think you can beat them for their quality. Heil makes microphones for the recording industry and applied that technology to a few models for amateur radio.
You only know how much you need to have a good headset after you have used a pair to snag a hard to get contact with a radio station on the far side of the world. The station speaker is ok for making local contact in a very quiet environment, but when you have to listen to that one small voice coming back to a your DX call , you appreciate the headset which brings that voice up close and personal to your ears. Heil also has a phase switch on some headset models that help you to better hear that small DX voice in the distance.
The most important component in your radio station is the antenna. If it is not pulling or pushing well you are in trouble. Whether you buy or build is a tough choice one has to make. Sometimes the parts can cost more than the ready made antenna. Many of us can live with the cost, but we have to pay shipping, duty, tax and VAT. Buy the most affordable antenna for the mode and frequency. The type of antenna determines how serious you are about operating. For example, if you are serious about 20-meter DX you can get [a] a rotatable dipole, or [b] a two [2] element beam, or [c] a three [3] element beam, or [d] a four [4] element beam, or [e] a five [5] element beam, in the Yagi, Quad or Delta Loop design. Or build you own. Many antenna designs are now coming from Europe.
This investment in an amateur radio station will be good for the next 5-years. My Kenwood TS940-SAT was top of the line when bought and gave my more than 20-years great amateur radio service. The SDR radios are the new radios on the block and will be here for a while. I am playing with the SDR amateur radio technology, but skelec and this RF interference, noise and frequency jamming, on the amateur radio frequencies severely hamper me from enjoying the great technology features of the radio. SKELEC is breaking the law with their illegal signals transmitting on the frequencies used by amateur radio operators, and other services. When this RF interference matter reaches to the Supreme Court, I believe that skelec will still defy the "shut it down" order and continue to break the law. This is what we have come to in the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis for 2020.
Today is a great day and we are hopeful that everything will go according to plan, all will be well inside and outside of our amateur radio. By March or April we expect our amateur radio family to be increased by five, maybe six, or more, amateur radio operators. We welcome them all. Let us share this amateur radio joy throughout our Federation. Have a great amateur radio day.
73
Keeth, V44KF
[to be continued]
Comments